A New Look as <i>JCO</i> Looks to the Future
Authors: Kathy D. Miller, Angela Cochran, Emilie Gunn, Jonathan W. Friedberg
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2023)

With the July 1 print edition, JCO debuts a new look designed to elevate and improve the experience for our readers.This redesign, in process for over 18 months, was informed by broad input from all important stakeholders, including readers, authors, editors, ASCO leadership, and staff.Flip back to the cover and enjoy the new look and feel for the JCO family of journals.Like the gold rectangle that defines National Geographic, we strove for a design that would be instantly recognizable and forever associated with ASCO.We have added page numbers to coverline articles to make them easier to find and shifted the location of featured content to avoid being obscured by advertising.Open the journal and you will see we have updated the Table of Contents, making it easier to find when skimming pages and more distinguished from advertisements.As you peruse the articles, you will find new typefaces and sizes that aid readability.We have also increased the visibility of data supplements, editorials, and other content linked to Original Reports.JCO shares knowledge and expertise, fosters a robust interchange, and perpetuates valuable learning, all in service of improving outcomes of patients with cancer.We have made many changes to improve accessibility, ensuring that the entire community can access our content regardless of limitations in eyesight or color perception.Figures will avoid using color alone to convey information and adhere to a minimum color contrast to meet accessibility standards.With a relaunch of the JCO website in early 2024, alternative text will be included for figures and tables, and prerecorded video content will include audio descriptions.Podcast transcripts will be easier to locate and available through journal search.Tables will be set in HTML to accommodate screen readers.Angled text and other design embellishments that would disrupt assistive technologies will be removed.In the coming months, JCO authors will also notice changes on the website.A new centralized Author Center will launch with a table of contents to make it easier for authors to find critical information.Redundant pages will be synthesized and combined.Pages and policies will be date stamped, making it easy to identify updates.Finally, JCO-specific requirements will be easy to distinguish from global ASCO policies.Some may wonder why redesign JCO?The look and feel of JCO last underwent a major update in 2011, with additional minor updates in 2018.There were four key goals of the current print redesign and forthcoming online update.• Several aspects of the previous design were not compliant with best practices for readability.Small, thin fonts in light colored typefaces can be difficult for readers in need of assistive devices (to include reading glasses).Figures using different colored lines without different textures are unreadable by many with color blindness.This new print design takes current accessibility standards into consideration.The online upgrade will also meet new accessibility standards with increased text size and more whitespace around the articles, and the ability to enlarge figures without losing detail or definition.• Many articles contain enhanced content that is only available online-infographics, video, data supplements, an associated podcast, etc.The redesigned print maximizes pointers to the online-only content with visible notations and QR codes.• As noted in the JCO strategic plan, we have a renewed emphasis on the relationship between all five ASCO journals.The redesign strengthens the connection, particularly with covers and color branding.• The online redesign comes with a technology upgrade and new features to better showcase content across the journals.